Why Use Cosmetics?

Caitlin Braun

Every woman deserves to be as naturally beautiful as she was created, and there is nothing wrong with being as presentable as possible. We certainly encourage personal hygiene and consider it reasonable to use, for example, a light-scented body spray, or necessary items for health and upkeep.

The question is, why are women expected to use lipstick, mascara, concealers, eyeliners, foundation, powders, and all the other cosmetic products on the market? Why the pressure to change our bodies through plastic surgery? Why do we have to fit the mold of what the cosmetic industry and the media present as beautiful?

We are taught what is “beautiful” and what is “not beautiful” by social media who use celebrities to promote items that will supposedly make you look like them (photoshopped or not), if you will only buy the items they advertise. Celebrities (with all their fame and money) have themselves testified of the constant pressure they have to look a certain way and eat a certain way in order to maintain a certain look.

This is a multi-billion dollar industry that pours money into social media to produce these images and push an agenda that furthers their income. Forget about the diversity and individuality of women. Pop culture pushes a certain look that can only be attained by certain products.

The cosmetic industry is dominated by male management. Their motivation is money, not the goodwill of women. These are men that are taking advantage of the natural desire of a woman to be beautiful and causing her to feel as if she cannot be beautiful without the application of some coverup or enhancer.

We are taught that makeup gives us a professional job, and for a woman to get a better job, she should wear her makeup. After all, there is more money brought to the business if there are “attractive” women . But this is just one example of objectifying women.

We have had enough! It is time for real women to rebel against the agenda of an industry that makes them feel they must go “buy beauty,” as though their natural attributes were insufficient.

Let us simply embrace the face and the body that God gave us. We are too good and noble to apply some chemicals to our face or surgically change our bodies.

Jezebel painted her face and she was not a role model worth following! We must acknowledge the real meaning of what it is to be a truly beautiful woman.